Christopher Ward Unveils Its Slimmest Twelve Yet - An Exercise In Exceptional Finishing And Timeless Design

Slimline Steel Statement

PRESS RELEASE | 756 WORDS | 7 MINUTE READ

August 28th, Maidenhead/Biel - Britain’s leading watchmaker, Christopher Ward, unveils its slimmest integrated watch ever: The Twelve 660. At just 6.6mm thick, the new launch reimagines the award-winning Twelve blueprint with a minimalist silhouette, refined details, and elevated movement finishing. The name follows the convention set by the C1 Malvern 595 from 2018 - Christopher Ward’s original super-slim watch. Just like that model, The Twelve 660 wears its thinness in its name. 6 + 6 = 12 is a happy coincidence.

Photo Courtesy: Christopher Ward

“Don’t mistake this for an entry in the ultra-thin race,” says CEO and co-founder Mike France. “The 660 isn’t a ‘novelty’ to be handled with white gloves at a convention centre in Geneva, it’s something you can truly live with: understated and elegant - whether you’re heading to a gallery, a boardroom, or a supermarket,” he continues.

The project began in mid-2023 with a single goal: to create The Twelve in its most elemental, wearable form. But making something look timeless is never easy. “We didn’t just shrink the case - we re-evaluated every surface and proportion,” says Senior Designer Will Brackfield. “Minimalism is honest. There’s no room to hide. Every decision has to serve the whole.”

The 38mm stainless steel case is framed by a sculpted, twelve-sided bezel adorned with fine linear brushing, polished bevels, and sandblasted accents. The bezel is subtly wider than previous iterations, adding wrist presence and structure to the ultra-thin form.

The 660 also welcomes a new bracelet, featuring 2.9mm-high single links. Its 4.2mm-high clasp is redesigned with push-buttons integrated inline with the butterfly locking mechanism. “Had we used the original Twelve clasp, it would have been thicker than the watch head itself – so we knew that had to change!” says Product Director Jörg Bader.

The dial features a grained texture, enhanced by a layer of clear lacquer. Hour indices are linear brushed with diamond-polished facets, while the hands mirror this treatment with polished flanks and brushed centres. There’s no second hand, and no date aperture - deliberate omissions that heighten both legibility and the dial’s clean, refined aesthetic.

Colour plays a vital role in expressing The 660’s character. BLK - a full black-on-black model with a DLC-coated case and bracelet - is perhaps the ultimate expression of the watch’s sleek, minimal design. “We loved how the black finish underlined the thinness of the case and brought a stealthy elegance to the design,” says Brackfield. The colour names - BLK, WHT, GRN and BLU - reflect the watch’s pared-back approach. “We took out everything that didn’t need to be there with the 660 - even most of the vowels,” he adds. It’s a tongue-in-cheek detail, but one that mirrors the 660’s focus on essentialism.

Powering The 660 is a reworked Sellita SW210, which for this application has been extensively modified by Christopher Ward. A custom skeletonised train bridge, rhodium-plated, vertically brushed, and finished with diamond-polished chamfers, opens up the movement for greater visibility through the display caseback. Additional detailing includes sunray-brushing on the crown and ratchet wheels. “These special pieces were designed in-house, machined at Paoluzzo and finished at APJ, making great use of key suppliers we brought in to work on the C1 Bel Canto,” adds Bader.

“The 660 sits between the steel Twelve and our Ti COSC model in terms of price, but it’s an entirely different proposition,” adds France. “What stands out isn’t one single feature or dimension. It’s the way the watch feels in the hand, the way it wears on the wrist.”

The Twelve 660 in steel is £1250/$1495/€1625 on the black rubber strap and £1395/$1660/€1805 on the integrated bracelet.

The Twelve 660 in DLC black is £1295/$1550/€1695 on the rubber strap and £1495/$1790/€1955 on the DLC black integrated bracelet. 

About Christopher Ward 

Christopher Ward is an English-Swiss watch company and the UK’s largest watch brand. Since its inception in 2004, Christopher Ward has defied industry norms, becoming the first premium watch brand to operate exclusively online, offering exquisitely hand-crafted, Swiss-made mechanical watches at previously unheard-of prices.

In its 20th anniversary year, Christopher Ward boasts a global customer base spanning over 100 countries. Known for its trailblazing style of watchmaking, the brand created the first commercially viable mechanical watch movement by a British brand in over five decades, the renowned Calibre SH21. In 2023, Christopher Ward's innovative approach was honored with the Petite Aiguille Award at The Grand Prix D'Horlogerie De Genève (GPHG) for its chiming watch, the Bel Canto. The success continued with lifestyle outlet T3 naming it Brand of the Year in 2024.

For further information visit christopherward.com